Louden
10-02-2007, 03:03 PM
While these two are tied up in a rematch (as of yet not confirmed) a lot of more intriuging matches are being passed by.
It's clear that neither of these guys are going to finish the other in 3 rounds. It's just going to be another decision match if it's a non-title fight. Not only that, but it's yet another fight we've already seen in a division FULL of better matches.
Face it, Tito Ortiz is one of the Top 3 draws in the UFC. Who is the biggest draw between Liddell, Couture, and Ortiz... I dunno, but they are the largest drawing fighters, especially if they continue to win. So what matches would be good ones to help build these guys?
There was a rumor about Hendo/Ortiz.... but that's stupid. Hendo will further set Tito back and he's a middleweight. Plus, it would be another clinchfest decision. Hendo needs to be at 185 but doesn't want to at the moment, so I liked the idea of matching him with Machida. If he wins then he knocks down Machida whom is known for less than exciting battles. If he loses perhaps his 2nd 205 loss will get him to drop to his ideal weight.
Who is a rising star right now that is NOT a rematch for Ortiz? Keith Jardine, Houston Alexander, and Ryoto Machida. IMO Machida would beat Ortiz. I'd prefer to see Tito matched up with Jardine or Houston.
A match with Jardine, whom has been proven susceptable to being taken down and GnP'd (Rashad Evans) would be a fine match for Ortiz. If (and I think he would) Tito would win, he'd have beaten the guy whom beat Liddell, someone Ortiz cannot beat. That would get him to the front of the line for a title shot.
Or even Houston. Obviously Houston has dynamite in his hands and legs as he has taken out two strikers very quickly. But how about his ground game? It is a HUGE question mark. He may be fairly clueless down there. Let's see him tested. A win over Ortiz would catapult him to the front of the line, and if Ortiz wins then Tito again is back in line for a shot. Personally, I'd love to see Tito have to go through both Houston AND Jardine and then getting a shot at the title.
IMO these are the fights I'd want to see in the next few months:
Marked in Red is the fighter I am pushing in my picks. I picked fights that push the stars forward.
There are also a couple of "Pick-em" fights where regardless of whom wins it will open up positive options for the future.
Tito 15-5-1/ Houston 8-1
Tito should win, perhaps by stoppage considering we don't know Houston's ground game, giving one of the biggest stars (Tito) a big win over the guy whom beat Jardine. If Houston wins, well he proved himself.
I think Tito wins this by using superior wrestling to get Houston down and pound him out.
Machida 11-0/ Henderson 22-6
A Pick-em match IMO. Hendo should push the pace on Machida in order to give a exciting fight. If Hendo wins he gets a big win, if Machida wins he proves his title contention worth and possibly dropping Hendo to 185 (which needs more depth).
I absolutely have no idea whom to pick here... Hendo is so tough and a much better wrestler but Machida is so elusive and good at counterstriking. I'll say Machida by decision.
Liddell 20-5 / Wanderlei 31-7-1
A Pick-em match as well. If Liddell wins, he gets a much needed victory. If Wanderlei wins then he is legitimized in front of UFC fans and with 2 victories over Rampage he's likely next in line for a shot. Plus, this is a fight that has to happen.
I think Liddell wins this as although Wandy is a better striker than Jardine, he's also less cautions and far more aggressive making him more likely to walk into a Liddell counterstrike.
Griffin 15-4 / Jardine 13-3-1
Yet another Pick-em match. I'm not big on rematches, but why not. Both should be ready around the same time, neither likely will be next in line for a shot since Jardine has but one win since his KO loss, and Griffin is only 2 fights away from his loss to Jardine. A rematch to push the other to the front of the line is needed, and this fight will sell as well as be entertaining.
I can't say who wins this. If I had to pick I'd think Forrest.
Rashad 10-0-1 / Thiago 11-0
Thiago is on the rise and is a legit test to Rashad whom is nearing the top ranks of the division and in need of testing. Thiago Silva is undefeated overall, is 2-0 in the UFC, and hails from Chute Boxe. This is a fight that will be pushed at a fast pace and will be exciting. A win gives rise to yet another top challenger.
I think with Rashad's wrestling and chin, he should be able to pull out the victory after a hard fought war.
Shogun 16-3 / Gouveia 9-4
Shogun needs a chance to get his bearings back... and since both fighters are injured and will be out for a time, they both should be ready again nearing around the same time. Gouveia is a legit and respected fighter coming off 3 straight UFC wins and 3-1 in the promotion.
Shogun should get this, but it will be a test as Wilson is legit. It will also be exciting.
Bisping 14-0 / David Heath 7-2
Heath was undefeated and a top up & comer until running into Top Dogs in Babalu and Machida. As those being his only two losses and coming from a wrestling background, he should be a good test for Bisping. As much as people are calling for a Hamill rematch, Matt is out for awhile and Mike needs to fight. I would have chosen Babalu for this except he got the boot. If Heath wins then he proves that he is an upper tier fighter losing only to the best but is above those just below the best. If Mike wins then he further sets himself up for the Hamill fight by taking on someone of similar skill-set.
I think Bisping takes this after a war by being able to neutralize Heath's ground offense and getting back to his feet.
Lambert 23-6 / Irvin 12-4
Lambert needs at least a name opponant, and this style clash almost guarantee's a finish.
Lambert should win this one, moving him further up the ranks.
Bonnar 10-4 / Nakamura 11-7
This is a do or die match. Bonnar is 4-3 in the UFC and is in need of a big win. Nakamura is 0-1 in the UFC and had just recently graced the Top 10. A win for Bonnar gives him a lot of credibility and a nice push up the ladder. A win for Nakamura gets him attention in the States that he deserves as being a top notch fighter.
Before I would have picked Nakamura without a doubt... but while I still favor him in a close match over Bonnar... I am not so certain. This match is more of a "Pick-em" match for me, where regardless of whom wins, it will be a good thing.
Matt Hamill 3-1 / Hector Ramirez 6-3
Ramirez deserves another shot having faced solid competition since entering the UFC and going the distance with a tentative Griffin. Hamill needs to gain more experience before taking on the Top echelon of the UFC. I don't care to see a Hamill/Bisping rematch right away. Sure, a rematch needs to happen someday, but why immediately?
I think with Hamill's chin and wrestling, he wins this fight.
If things work out, these guys move forward:
Tito Ortiz
Shogun Rua
Rashad Evans
Mike Bisping
Jason Lambert
Matt Hamill
As well as these pick-em matches providing the winner awesome future match ups with either each other or the above mentioned winners:
Liddell/Silva
Hendo/Machida
Griffin/Jardine
Bonnar/Nakamura
The loser of the above Pick-em matches could either fight some of the above winners or the below losers:
Houston Alexander
Thiago Silva
Wilson Gouveia
David Heath
James Irvin
Hector Ramirez
or even others like Carmello Marrero, Sam Hogar, etc.
It's clear that neither of these guys are going to finish the other in 3 rounds. It's just going to be another decision match if it's a non-title fight. Not only that, but it's yet another fight we've already seen in a division FULL of better matches.
Face it, Tito Ortiz is one of the Top 3 draws in the UFC. Who is the biggest draw between Liddell, Couture, and Ortiz... I dunno, but they are the largest drawing fighters, especially if they continue to win. So what matches would be good ones to help build these guys?
There was a rumor about Hendo/Ortiz.... but that's stupid. Hendo will further set Tito back and he's a middleweight. Plus, it would be another clinchfest decision. Hendo needs to be at 185 but doesn't want to at the moment, so I liked the idea of matching him with Machida. If he wins then he knocks down Machida whom is known for less than exciting battles. If he loses perhaps his 2nd 205 loss will get him to drop to his ideal weight.
Who is a rising star right now that is NOT a rematch for Ortiz? Keith Jardine, Houston Alexander, and Ryoto Machida. IMO Machida would beat Ortiz. I'd prefer to see Tito matched up with Jardine or Houston.
A match with Jardine, whom has been proven susceptable to being taken down and GnP'd (Rashad Evans) would be a fine match for Ortiz. If (and I think he would) Tito would win, he'd have beaten the guy whom beat Liddell, someone Ortiz cannot beat. That would get him to the front of the line for a title shot.
Or even Houston. Obviously Houston has dynamite in his hands and legs as he has taken out two strikers very quickly. But how about his ground game? It is a HUGE question mark. He may be fairly clueless down there. Let's see him tested. A win over Ortiz would catapult him to the front of the line, and if Ortiz wins then Tito again is back in line for a shot. Personally, I'd love to see Tito have to go through both Houston AND Jardine and then getting a shot at the title.
IMO these are the fights I'd want to see in the next few months:
Marked in Red is the fighter I am pushing in my picks. I picked fights that push the stars forward.
There are also a couple of "Pick-em" fights where regardless of whom wins it will open up positive options for the future.
Tito 15-5-1/ Houston 8-1
Tito should win, perhaps by stoppage considering we don't know Houston's ground game, giving one of the biggest stars (Tito) a big win over the guy whom beat Jardine. If Houston wins, well he proved himself.
I think Tito wins this by using superior wrestling to get Houston down and pound him out.
Machida 11-0/ Henderson 22-6
A Pick-em match IMO. Hendo should push the pace on Machida in order to give a exciting fight. If Hendo wins he gets a big win, if Machida wins he proves his title contention worth and possibly dropping Hendo to 185 (which needs more depth).
I absolutely have no idea whom to pick here... Hendo is so tough and a much better wrestler but Machida is so elusive and good at counterstriking. I'll say Machida by decision.
Liddell 20-5 / Wanderlei 31-7-1
A Pick-em match as well. If Liddell wins, he gets a much needed victory. If Wanderlei wins then he is legitimized in front of UFC fans and with 2 victories over Rampage he's likely next in line for a shot. Plus, this is a fight that has to happen.
I think Liddell wins this as although Wandy is a better striker than Jardine, he's also less cautions and far more aggressive making him more likely to walk into a Liddell counterstrike.
Griffin 15-4 / Jardine 13-3-1
Yet another Pick-em match. I'm not big on rematches, but why not. Both should be ready around the same time, neither likely will be next in line for a shot since Jardine has but one win since his KO loss, and Griffin is only 2 fights away from his loss to Jardine. A rematch to push the other to the front of the line is needed, and this fight will sell as well as be entertaining.
I can't say who wins this. If I had to pick I'd think Forrest.
Rashad 10-0-1 / Thiago 11-0
Thiago is on the rise and is a legit test to Rashad whom is nearing the top ranks of the division and in need of testing. Thiago Silva is undefeated overall, is 2-0 in the UFC, and hails from Chute Boxe. This is a fight that will be pushed at a fast pace and will be exciting. A win gives rise to yet another top challenger.
I think with Rashad's wrestling and chin, he should be able to pull out the victory after a hard fought war.
Shogun 16-3 / Gouveia 9-4
Shogun needs a chance to get his bearings back... and since both fighters are injured and will be out for a time, they both should be ready again nearing around the same time. Gouveia is a legit and respected fighter coming off 3 straight UFC wins and 3-1 in the promotion.
Shogun should get this, but it will be a test as Wilson is legit. It will also be exciting.
Bisping 14-0 / David Heath 7-2
Heath was undefeated and a top up & comer until running into Top Dogs in Babalu and Machida. As those being his only two losses and coming from a wrestling background, he should be a good test for Bisping. As much as people are calling for a Hamill rematch, Matt is out for awhile and Mike needs to fight. I would have chosen Babalu for this except he got the boot. If Heath wins then he proves that he is an upper tier fighter losing only to the best but is above those just below the best. If Mike wins then he further sets himself up for the Hamill fight by taking on someone of similar skill-set.
I think Bisping takes this after a war by being able to neutralize Heath's ground offense and getting back to his feet.
Lambert 23-6 / Irvin 12-4
Lambert needs at least a name opponant, and this style clash almost guarantee's a finish.
Lambert should win this one, moving him further up the ranks.
Bonnar 10-4 / Nakamura 11-7
This is a do or die match. Bonnar is 4-3 in the UFC and is in need of a big win. Nakamura is 0-1 in the UFC and had just recently graced the Top 10. A win for Bonnar gives him a lot of credibility and a nice push up the ladder. A win for Nakamura gets him attention in the States that he deserves as being a top notch fighter.
Before I would have picked Nakamura without a doubt... but while I still favor him in a close match over Bonnar... I am not so certain. This match is more of a "Pick-em" match for me, where regardless of whom wins, it will be a good thing.
Matt Hamill 3-1 / Hector Ramirez 6-3
Ramirez deserves another shot having faced solid competition since entering the UFC and going the distance with a tentative Griffin. Hamill needs to gain more experience before taking on the Top echelon of the UFC. I don't care to see a Hamill/Bisping rematch right away. Sure, a rematch needs to happen someday, but why immediately?
I think with Hamill's chin and wrestling, he wins this fight.
If things work out, these guys move forward:
Tito Ortiz
Shogun Rua
Rashad Evans
Mike Bisping
Jason Lambert
Matt Hamill
As well as these pick-em matches providing the winner awesome future match ups with either each other or the above mentioned winners:
Liddell/Silva
Hendo/Machida
Griffin/Jardine
Bonnar/Nakamura
The loser of the above Pick-em matches could either fight some of the above winners or the below losers:
Houston Alexander
Thiago Silva
Wilson Gouveia
David Heath
James Irvin
Hector Ramirez
or even others like Carmello Marrero, Sam Hogar, etc.